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Whole Foods removes registers to make room for Prime Now
Whole Foods is making adjustments yet again to accommodate Amazon’s big play at local shopping. (Deliveries past a five-block radius were discontinued earlier this month.) The store was required to remove two registers on the local, Warren Street side in order to construct a Prime Now packaging area. (Thanks to S. for the pic.)
The way it will work is the Amazon shoppers will collect items from around the store based on a customer’s online order. It will be packed in shopping bags then delivered by a separate delivery staff. The WF manager said so far the Prime Now folks are not using vans, but making deliveries on foot. Customers in the store cannot use that service — only online shoppers — which makes no sense from any outside analysis. “Hopefully they will reform their system a bit,” said one manager.
The decision isn’t sitting well with the store’s managers any more than it will with customers.
“We really made sure we took care of the community,” said Mark, who noted that WF took groceries wherever the customer wanted them to go, even North Jersey. “This was an Amazon initiative. We are very empathetic with our customers.”
The loss of registers will definitely be felt by shoppers at the big rush hours — Sundays and Mondays from noon to 7p — when typically every register is lit up.
“This will impact in terms of customer service,” Mark said. “It’s an adjustment for all of us.”
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The Whole Foods cashiers are always so slow. The lines would move much quicker if they simply scanned the items faster. They are not obligated to upsell you anything or capture your email. Mgmt should just encourage faster cashiering.
The lines would move faster if shoppers helped pack their own bags instead of talking on the phone and letting the cashiers do everything. I’ve asked WF to give a 10 cent credit for every bag packed by a shopper as an incentive but they don’t seem interested.
Costco delivers.
Eataly’s produce is cheaper and better than Whole Foods’s.
Trader Joe’s, vastly smaller in corporate profits, ALWAYS has an abundance of cashiers from the instant they open. WF has no competition south of Canal Street and is unwilling, in spite of their wealth, to employ enough register people. They claim they have trouble finding cashier people…I guess Traders has hijacked them all?! Also, have you noticed in the Cafe they use uncoated paper plates that soak right through from the food moisture. Mark, who do we blame for the paper plates?? Love to talk with you..my name us in the stores system so I can verify its me.